Practice of Pharmacy

Practice of pharmacy:

• the interpretation, evaluation, or dispensing of prescription drug order in the patient’s best interest

• participation in drug and device selection, drug administration, drug regimen reviews, and drug or drug related research

• provision of patient counseling

• performing capillary blood tests and interpreting the results as means to screen for or monitor disease risk factors and facilitate patient education

Administration:

means the provision of unit dose of medication to an individual patient as a result of the prescriber’s order

Dispensing:

means the preparation and delivery of a drug or device to a patient , patient’s caregiver, or patients’s agent pursuant to a prescriber’s order

Compounding:

means the preparation, mixing, assembling, packaging, or labeling of drug by a pharmacist or by a practitioner in compliance with rules

Qualifications of RPh license:

1. have submitted an application to the board of pharmacy

2. have attained the age of majority (18 years old)

3. be of good moral character

4. have graduated accredited college of school of pharmacy

5. have completed an internship ( 1500 hours)

6. have successfully passed examinations approved by the board

7. have paid the fees specified by the board for examinations and have paid for the issuance of the license

Renewal process for RPh licenses:

• shall apply for renewal biennially(every 2 years): 12/31 of even numbered years

• licenses not renewed by December 31st of the even number years may be late renewed by January 31st

• any license not renewed by January 31st of the year following the renewal date deadline , shall automatically become classified as administratively revoked.

• must submit proof of 30 hours of approved programs of CE

CE hour requirement: if licensed during the 1st 6 months of biennium (June to January):

30 hours of CE

CE hour requirement: if licensed during the following 12 months June -July:

15 hours of CE

RPh licensure: internship requirements

• if applying by examination than you must complete 1500 hours of pharmacy internship or its equivalent ( not required if reciprocating RPh license from another state)

• must successfully pass NAPLEX

• Must successfully pass MPJE

• minimum score is 75% on both

What is the maximum attempts to pass the NAPLEX and MPJE?

• candidates have a maximum of 5 attempts to successfully pass the NAPLEX and 5 attempts to successfully pass the MPJE.

• approval will not be provided for more than 5 attempts for either examination

Pharm intern license:

• valid for up to 5 years. unless renewed by the board, the license shall expire

• expire at the time a pharmacy intern is expelled, suspended, dismissed or withdraws from an approved school or college of pharmacy or is otherwise licensed as a pharmacist pursuant to this title

• shall expire upon notification that a person has taken and failed the NAPLEX for the 3rd time.

Certified pharmacy technician:

• a registered pharmacy technician who has certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification (PTCB)

Pharmacy technician registration requirements:

• at least 17 years old

• currently enrolled in high school, or has high school diploma, or has a GED

• pay a background check to be conducted by the Board

• submit the name and address of employer and place employment

Does a technician have to be currently employed to register as a technician?

• No, but as soon as you become employed in a pharmacy you need to submit the pharmacy technician change of employment notification form

Can pharmacy technicians reciprocate his/her registration from another state?

• no, GA law and Board rules do not allow pharmacy technicians to reciprocate their registration from other states

Do pharmacy technicians working in federal facilities, Indian reservations, and military bases have to register?

• the board does not have any jurisdiction over these facilities. Only if the facility holds a GA pharmacy license, will the pharmacy technician working in the pharmacy be registered with the board.

PIC must notify the board of any change in employment status of all registered technicians in the pharmacy within:

• 10 days of the technician’s separation date from employment

CE credits for technician:

• on July 1, 2023, as a requirement for the biennial renewal of his/her registration, a pharmacy technician must complete not less than twenty(20) hours of approved CE

Tech supervision requirements: ratio requirements

• the pharmacy technician ratio shall no exceed 4 technicians to 1 pharmacist (4:1):

  • any time a pharmacist supervises 4 pharmacy techs, 2 must be certified.

  • anytime a pharmacist supervise 3 pharmacy techs, 1 tech must be certified.

• in addition to the utilization of pharmacy techs a pharmacist can be assisted and directly supervise: 1 pharmacy intern and 1 pharmacy extern.

Tech supervision: what the pharmacist must supervise

• the pharmacist shall be responsible for all activities of the pharmacy technician in preparation of drug delivery to patient.

• the pharmacist shall present and personally supervise the activities of the pharmacy at all times

• pharmacy technicians may enter information into the system and prepare labels, provided however that the pharmacist verifies the accuracy of the information entered and the label produced.

• when a prescription drug order is presented for refilling, it shall be responsibility of the pharmacist to review all appropriate information and make the determination as to whether to refill the prescription

• pharmacy technicians dispensing area shall be identifiable (name and job title on a name tag)

The following functions require the professional judgement of the pharmacist and may not be performed by a pharmacy technician:

• acceptance of oral prescriptions

• certification of a filled or finished prescription

• weighing or measuring active ingredients without a mechanism of verification

• reconstitution of prefabricated medication without a mechanism of verification

• verification of the constituents of final IV admixtures for accuracy, efficacy, and patient utilization

• entry of orders on a patient medication profiles without verification by a pharmacist

• provision of drug information that has not been prepared or approved by the pharmacist

• prescription transfers, patient counseling, therapeutic review, or final verification

How many pharmacy observers can a pharmacist suprevise?

• one observer at a time

Requirements to be a pharmacy observer:

• at least 17 years old

• currently enrolled in high school or in general education diploma preparation courses

• not convicted or have been convicted of a felony and/or any offense that was related to drugs shall not perform any duties that require licensure as pharmacist or pharmacy intern or registration as a pharmacy technician.

• shall not be present in the pharmacy for more than eight hours per day

• identifiable by use of a name badge

What are the requirements if a graduate is from a foreign school of pharmacy to become licensed in GA?

• A school or college of pharmacy located outside of the United States, provided that graduates of such foreign schools or college may be deemed qualified to apply to practice as pharmacists or pharmacy interns if and only if the Board, after a review of the graduate's verified academic records, finds that the graduate is qualified and, in the case of a graduate who seeks licensure as a pharmacist, has passed the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEC), and the Test of Spoken English, and the Test of English as a foreign language, all administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. (NABP)

How many days do you have to wait to retest for the MPJE after failing?

• 31 days

How many days after failing the NAPLEX can you retest?

• 45 days

How many years are NAPLEX and MPJE scores valid?

• 2 years